Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-15
THE MARlONETTES.

had cleared away the ornamental pieces
of confectionery and the automatic figures
at which every one had laughed so hard.
The ladies had gone 10 the drawing room
where SignUr Marcimallo, the tenor, was
singing for them. Some Of the gentlemen
were lingering at the table TO finish their
cigars and coffee and TO hear Gen. PIN
pan tell once more how he had received a
saber stroke on his check at the battle of
Sumtown. Grandfather WaS was asleep
. in the corner snoring like a horSetiddle.
The room was blue with cigar smoke, and
the little ma iOliCa clock in the corner was
80 blinded 10y it that il got its hands
crossed and pointed 10 ten minutes of f"nr
when il was really twenty minutes after
ten.
On the top shelf in the pantry were the
automatic figures. They We're silent ap-
parrntly. and had all stopped in CON
strained attitudes, which made them look
extremely funny. The central figure of
the little assembly was Il very proud
Young lady with yellow hair that looked
like well pulled mola>Ses candy, big dark
eyes with very dark lnshes and brows,
with crimson checks AMI lips and snow
white teeth. She looked just like one of
the beautiful ladies we see in the comic
nperas-all except her teeth. When she
WAS wound up she would fan herself with
Il most diSlaiu:ul air like the Saleslady
who has ruined her prospects Of marriage
10y compelling her lover to take her 10
hear Patti.
Next To her was Il baseball player. who
wore Il red and black striped suit and had
very large legs. though he never ran hases
L..
ball player, because he could not get off
his base. but perhaps he was more sensible
on that account When he was wound up
he made three strikes with the hat which
he held over his shoulder, and. no doubt,
like many other baseball players, he could
have hit hail if II got in the way of his
bat. Then there was beautiful blue
I faced monkey, with pink eyes and green
teeth. who could wink and open and shut
/ his mouth while he played tastefuily on
/ the tambourine. There was also colored
man. who looked like Mr.. Dockstader in
miSfit, and wore a collar used by all the
/ fashionable flies Of the ncighborhood as an
! evening promenade. This gentleman had
! a one stringed guitar, and when he was
wound up he could play lovely accom-
7 paniment. No one ever wanted TO be ac-
Cumpauied by Il one strinCed guitar, unless
( he played one Stringed Chinese fiddle,
but the mnStrel's soul was full OF accom-
panimcnt and he played just the same.
( And there was the old woman who lived
/ in shoe and had so many children she
| didn't know what to do, except when the
children ran down and then they gave her
no trouble. and she liked that well enough,
( You may be sure.
/ This was very Coodly company, as may
easily he imagined. and they knew great
( deal about the world, for they saw il often
/ at dinner where it drank good deal Of
wine and said many things better left IN
I said. Now that one more big dinner was
/ over the marioncttes sat on the shelf and
/ locked at one another. They often did
/ that. They could not help it very well,
/ for they could not get away If they tried.
| They had once seen walking doll and
! had enVied her, but when they found she
/ couldn't fan, or play on a one stringed
| guitar. or make three strikes, or spank
any children, they felt more resigned.
| Il never was So di>Custed in the whole
course of my life remarked Fannie, the
young lady with the fan. 1T makes me
! burn all over ! wish some one would
wind me up so ! could fan myself"
Whats the trouble, Miss Fannie:''
said Johnny Ward, the baseball player,
who was very fond Of this young lady,
but being stuffed with sawdust did not
feel So deeply as he might.
Did You see those two young ladies
opposite me carrying on with that boy;''
No. was the general answer
"Well.' said Miss Fannie, highly de-
lighted at the opportunity TO tell a story,
there We're little Miss Belle Carter and
Miss Milliceut Meredith, one of them Il
years old and the other IL. Opposite them
sat Muster Harry Hinton, who is only l3.
And what do You suppose those three
were doing2''
Its quite impossible to tell, =" said the
Did woman. whose name was Sue. mo
one can tell what children are going TO do.
They're the worry of my existence. Be
fore | can get up in the morning Tom is
sure TO bc''-s
Say shouted Samho. the colored man:
''no one haiut talkiu' about yore chillen,
Did Teddy"
Don't you dare 20 speak to me like
that exclaimed the old woman. do
YOU think You re dialect story in a maga-
zine
That's right. Sue = said the ball player
See here, Sambo, don't You speak to any
one here in that manner again OF III hit
You with my bat "
"Yo' can't" said Samho: ''yo' hain't
wound up }" Johnny Ward could make no
reply TO this and there was a moments
silence Then the blue faced monkey,
JoCko. said:
"Well. I'm sure ] thought everything
went wrong at the dinner
"Oh, you're unhappy" said the old
woman, because Uncle Toby poured half
&
month was open"
We'll. / don't care said the monkey
/ blushiug till his blue face was purple; lit
vas mean advantage To take of me when
| | was wound up and couldn't help opening
my mouth"
well" said Miss Fanny, ''am TO be
permitted To 40 on with my story;r
Go Now you're of - shouted Johnny
Ward. Il beg your pardon; forgot this
wasn't game Of ball"
We'll. what | was going to say was
this. Miss Bell opened kiss paper and
handed it 10 Master Harry | saw the
paper. and what 90 you think it said ;"
We all 9Th dat un up, Miss Bones"
replied the cOlored man
This isn'ta minstrel show" exclaimed
the monkey.
Il do declare" said the old woman.
that African worries me SO that, if |
could, I'd spank all the children, SO
would. Now, therer'
One Of the children. who had thrown
the old woman's key into a vinegar bottle
while al dinner, So that she could never be
wound up again, winked at the others and
said nothing.
We'll. on the kiss paper" said Mis-
Fannie, were these words:
Two souls with hut a single thought,
Two hearts tEat beat u4c.
"Now, think it is simply scsndalous for
children TO pass such things around and |
try to act rs if they We're grown up when |
they ought to nc out playing tag"
SO do = exclaimed the old woman. |
"Children try to ape their betters too |
much entirely. Children ought TO he |
children just is long as ever they can. |
They grow up fast enough and have TO |
make love and get married. and keep |